AbstractHistoryArchive Description

One of Britain's more influential science-fiction magazines, Science-Fantasy was launched by Nova Publications in 1950 as a companion publication to New Worlds. Originally edited by Walter Gillings, it came under the control of New Worlds editor John Carnell with issue 3. In 1964, it was sold to Roberts & Vinter, after which its fortunes declined.

Carnell focused strongly on the literary quality of the stories published in Science-Fantasy. The magazine focused equally on science fiction (publishing, for example, early stories by Brian Aldiss) and fantasy (including Michael Moorcock's early Elric of Melniboné stories). During the early 1960s, often considered the highpoint of the magazine's run, the three mainstay writers were Michael Moorcock, Thomas Burnett Swann, and J.G. Ballard.

PeriodicalNewspaper Details

Frequency:

Irregular, 1950 to 1953 (no more than two issues per annum); five issues per annum, 1954 to 1955; four issues per annum, 1956; six issues per annum, 1957 to 1964; monthly, 1965 to 1967. (Issues were not dated between 1954 and 1964, though month and year notations were included at the bottom of the contents page.)

Range:

Summer 1950 - Feb. 1967 (93 issues). (See note below for details on name changes and re-numbering of the magazine.)

Mergers:

Merged with sister publication New Worlds after the Feb. 1967 issue (as New Worlds and SF Impulse). The combined magazines only lasted two issues, however, as New Worlds was temporarily forced into receivership. When it was revived in July that same year it was given the new title New Worlds Speculative Fiction.

Size:

Wavered between a digest and a large digest for the first six issues, before settling on digest, in which size it appeared until 1964. From Jun./Jul. 1964 until it folded, it was published as a paperback.

Price:

One shilling and sixpence (issues 1 and 2), two shillings (issues 3 to 6), one shilling and sixpence (issues 7 to 10), two shillings (issues 11 to 45), two shillings and sixpence (issues 46 to 60), three shillings (issues 61 to 64), two shillings and sixpence (issues 65 to 81). The rebranded Impulse/SF Impulse all sold at three shillings and sixpence.

Note:

The magazine underwent a number of name changes during its run, including a comprehensive re-branding (including a re-start of the numbering system) in 1966. The names are as follows: Science-Fantasy (issues 1 to 6, 1950 to 1953), Science Fantasy (issues 7 to 80, 1954 to 1966), Science Fantasy Impulse (issue 81, 1966), Impulse (issues 1 to 5 of the new series, 1966, with the sub-title 'The NEW Science Fantasy' appended to issues 1 to 3), and SF Impulse (issues 6 to 12 of the new series, 1966 to 1967).